Top Five Comic Book Movie Predictions for 2016

Evan Valentine

01/02/2016 07:55 am EST

With 7 comic book movies being released next year (8 if you count Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 2), there certainly isn't a lack of predictions that could be made about the goings on within all the different universes. With DC making their first major break into the "Cinematic Universe" game with Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice, Marvel is looking to answer with Captain America: Civil War and Dr. Strange. Not to be left out of the proceedings though, Fox is releasing Deadpool and X-Men: Apocalypse, though Gambit is still a big maybe as to whether it will join the ranks in this year or the next. Will we see some of our favorite characters die? How will audiences react to all these new characters being introduced?

In this article, we'll not only walk you through some of our predictions in terms of the films' stories, but also the environment surrounding the films and audience reception to them. 2016 promises to be what is perhaps the biggest year for super hero movies, so let's get cracking!

Captain America Will Die in Civil War

Considering this is how the original crossover ended in the comics, with Steve being shot by his mind controlled lady love, Sharon Carter, it leads to the idea that this too will be how the film draws its curtain to a close. Captain America dying at the end of Civil War ushered in an entirely new age for the Marvel Universe, and it would do so for the Cinematic one as well. With characters like Spider-Man, Black Panther, and Dr. Strange being introduced, along with Thor presumably being off-world for Thor: Ragnarok and the Guardians of the Galaxy likewise in their sequel, now would be a fantastic time to introduce the idea that super-heroes must report, and work for, the government in order to continue to operate. Certainly, for a character like Spider-Man, this would make his situation all the tougher in having to be pronounced a menace and hunted by the government in turn.

Phase 3 of Marvel’s films starting with the death of one of the original Avengers would make for a momentous opening salvo, showing audiences that they shouldn’t get too comfortable with who or what will be presented in the near future. While it would be tragic to say goodbye to Chris Evans’ amazing Steve Rogers, having another character take up the shield for Infinity War would be something to see. Regardless, we’re definitely thinking that Rogers is a goner.

The Justice League Will Form

(Photo: Warner Bros.)

Cheating a bit here, as I don't think every member of the team is going to appear in Batman V Superman, but I think that the final shot, or perhaps post credit scene will at least be a name drop or clever dance around the name. "So are we a League now?" or something along those lines, hopefully delivered better than the dreadful name drop of the Fantastic Four in 2015 (yikes). With the DC Trinity of Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman already set to appear, with confirmation of cameos from Aquaman and Cyborg to name a few, the movie may be overstuffed just a tad, but I would imagine that if WB wants to really lay the ground work for the next big team up they'll pull out all the stops with this first entry.

The fear remains that this may all be a bit much for a single film, especially considering the fact that we have two villains confirmed on top of everything else in the form of Lex Luthor and Doomsday. If anything else, the movie will be a spectacle and hopefully it manages to balance everything out to move things forward. I wasn't a huge fan of Man of Steel myself, but I hope that everyone learned from its faults when it comes to this giant crossover.

Deadpool Will Blow Everyone Away

I think when you're entrenched in the world of comics, or writing about them regularly for a website, you forget how characters are perceived by those who don't have an in-depth understanding of who they are and what stories they currently have coming out. With Deadpool though, it's almost insane to see how much he's permeated into non-diehard fans' consciousness. I swear I see Deadpool t-shirts and memorabilia out in the world almost as much as I see Spider-Man or Batman at this point, and that's without any major motion pictures backing him up, until next February that is. Long thought a dream, the Ryan Reynolds piloted Deadpool movie seems to be staying almost insanely close to the comics, offering a Merc with a Mouth wearing a pitch perfect costume, cracking one liners, and breaking the fourth wall in an R-rated blockbuster.

This movie not only looks like it nails the character, but more importantly, it looks like everyone had a blast making it. Deadpool really comes across as a labor of love and those are really the best movies to watch. Do I think that Deadpool is going to make Civil War or Dawn of Justice money? Probably not, but I think it'll be the highest grossing film of February 2016 without a doubt, and that's saying something.

Marvel's Magic World Will Burst Wide Open

(Photo: Marvel Studios)

Pound for pound, Dr. Strange has one of the best casts for not only a comic book movie, but for movies in general. All the actors involved are top notch and with the recent reveal of Benedict Cumberbatch as the good Doctor, it's safe to say that this movie will be a hit. Dr. Strange, aside from being a great standalone piece, is also Marvel Studios' first foray into the world of the occult and the supernatural. Much like Guardians of the Galaxy cracking open the celestial side of things, Strange will drag us kicking and screaming into the world of mysticism. I fully expect to see numerous easter eggs and names dropped during the film, perhaps leading to future projects involving Marvel's scarier properties such as Blade, Ghost Rider, the Midnight Sons, Werewolf By Night, and more.

Stephen Strange brings us into a world that opens up the Marvel Cinematic Universe franchise even further, and as a child who grew up loving Ghost Rider and The Midnight Sons in the 90s, it's one of my most anticipated films of next year.

People Still Will Not Be Tired of Comic Book Movies

This is just a general statement, but there isn't a year goes by when people don't talk about oversaturation when it comes to comic book properties. Certainly, you can hardly throw a stone in this day and age into the entertainment world without hitting something that's comic book related, but let's look at why that's the case. With decades of stories to pull from, that haven't even been touched yet, there's just so much material to break into and audiences are still coming out to these movies in droves month after month. Are we reaching a crescendo when it comes to all these comic book properties? I don't think so and I don't think that 2016 will be a time when interest wanes. I certainly believe that at some point in the future, interest will shift to some other direction, but that could very well be a long time away.

For now, continue enjoying what you enjoy, get excited for all the comic book properties we're getting now, because who knows where the future will take us?

Disclosure: ComicBook is owned by CBS Interactive, a division of Paramount. Sign up for Paramount+ by clicking here.